May 2 1966
From The Space Library
Resources of US. space program were minimal “while the Russians apparently are increasing theirs,” Dr. George E. Mueller, NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight, told a news conference at MTF. Competition in space is not lessening with time, but rather is increasing. What is needed is a clear definition of where the nation is going in space after the moon is explored.” (Russell, Miami Her., 5/3/66)
Six-week NASA-sponsored exploration trip to search for plant life in Chile’s Atacama Desert-area resembling Martian terrain because of its extreme aridity-was begun by Richard W. Davies, JPL Advanced Studies Section, and two other JPL scientists. Explorers, who planned to send back 1,000 lbs. of sandy soil for analysis, would concentrate on high plateau near Calama, 80 mi. inland and 5,000 to 8,000 ft. above sea level. Similar trip last year had yielded a microflora in top four inches of sand. (JPL Release)
A Soviet victory in the race to achieve first manned lunar landing “would be a worldwide propaganda disgrace because we ourselves chose the target . . . [and] a crushing political blow at home to the President linked with it, which the present White House incumbent has been from the inception,” wrote William J. Coughlin in Missiles and Rockets. He suggested a possible solution: “. . . extend the US. national goal prior to a manned lunar landing by either the US. or the Soviet Union. Then, if the Russians were the first to arrive on the Moon, we would be in a position to gracefully acknowledge their achievement while pointing out that to us the Moon was but a way-station en route to a more distant objective. If we accomplished the first landing, we would also have the benefits of victory. But we would not be so exposed in the event of a defeat. . . . “Without establishment of a higher goal and a greater challenge, U.S. space capability will dissipate. NASA efforts to prevent this by getting a worthwhile Apollo Applications program under way have not met with notable success. This provides a second good reason for lifting our national goal. . . .” (Coughlin, M&R, 5/2/66, 46)
During week of May 2: MSC officials had not pinpointed exact cause, but had isolated probable cause of faulty thruster which prematurely terminated GEMINI VIII mission March 16, Missiles and Rockets reported. Corrective action would affect all these components on GEMINI IX and later spacecraft, Gemini program manager Charles W. Mathews emphasized that thruster and its associated hardware and electronics were contained in adapter module abandoned by crew in orbit prior to reentry. “If we can believe telemetry data, we can isolate the cause of the problem to either spacecraft wiring or thruster valve solenoids,” Mathews said. Specific trouble spot within wiring or valve solenoids would be difficult to determine without testing actual equipment. (M&R, 5/9/66, 17)
May 2-4: AIAA met in Washington, D.C. Satellite Educational and Informational Television (SEIT)-Concept of combining television and communications satellites to raise standards of living in less-advanced nations-was discussed by Vincent P. Rock, director of Communications Central. He emphasized lack of literacy requirement for television instruction and noted that it could (1) “transmit skills and knowledge required for modernization of productive activity; (2) transmit fantasy which helps a person understand the role and techniques of association required for participation in a modern society; and (3) transmit information about events and goods required for action in the modern world.” Following his speech, Rock told the press that a demonstration SEIT system would cost about $30,000,000, excluding ground receiving equipment, and could be ready in three years. Transmissions from satellites could either be received on six-foot “dish” antennas and relayed to individual receiving sets or relayed directly to home sets. (Sehlstedt, Balt. Sun, 5/3/66)
James D. O’Connell, White House Director of Telecommunications Management, warned of frequency shortage for satellite communications by 1970 unless new techniques were devised. O’Connell urged aerospace engineers who started “this communications explosion” to “consider all ideas and concepts" that would squeeze more talk into existing broadcast frequencies. (Clark, NYT, 5/4/66, 23)
US. should assume active world leadership in direct satellite-to-home radio and television broadcasts which offer tremendous potential for mass education and mass propaganda, suggested Columbia Univ. law professor Richard N. Gardner in a panel discussion. Warning that several nations had already asked international bodies to outlaw general broadcasting from space for fear of “unilateral penetration” or unwanted propaganda, Gardner urged: (1) the Administration to proceed immediately in developing direct broadcast satellites; (2) the organization of a pilot demonstration project, perhaps in India, with U.N. endorsement; (3) the involvement of AID and other international lending agencies in educational use of space communications; and (4) the reassurance of friendly nations that comsats would not be used for propaganda. Murray L. Schwartz, Univ. of Calif. School of Law, told panel that satellites were one more example of a technology that might be moving too fast for existing social institutions. A “knowledge explosion” helped by space communications would accelerate homogenization of society and “one of the great problems is to make sure the homogenization is not too great,” he said. (Clark, NYT, 5/5/66, 17; Simons, Wash. Post, 5/5/66, A l )
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